Curse

Shursh · May 05, 2009, 07:17 PM // 19:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nodakim

So basicly tipping is like giving money to homeless people?

except that homeless people haven't provided a service to deserve your money.

waiters have provided food, drink, and entertainment (at times).

A11Eur0 · May 05, 2009, 07:33 PM // 19:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winterclaw

I was just reading this at ESPN:

I always thought tipping was something that you were supposed to do to be nice to waiters/waitresses who did an extra good job. So how has it gotten to the point where if you only leave 15% (10% used to be the minimum) you are a bad tipper? Why is it a big deal at all? Why in the world can't a major corporation like Hooters and all the other dine-in restaurants actually pay their employees so they don't depend on tipping?

IMO if you leave anything, it's better than leaving nothing, but I don't think a person should be expected to leave a penny. That's just wrong.

Besides, if those waitresses didn't do anything very special to earn a hundred dollar tip (doesn't have to be sex either), I don't think they should get one just because their client is rich.

If the bulk of a server's pay is based off of tips, and you KNOW this, and can afford it, especially if it's obvious you're only there to look at the eye candy, you should at least drop a little more coin than the 15% minimum. If you make 33 mil a year, a couple hundred bucks a night is like a fraction of a penny to us. Not worth fussing over, unless you're a young woman working to pay your way through college. The point is that these servers get paid what they do because it's known to the general NYC populace that they do get tips. It's not required that you tip, but if it's the status quo and you don't, you're going to get some nasty surprises in your food the next time you go. Everyone remembers the lousy tipper just as much as they remember the awesome tipper. Not many people remember the average tipper, unless it's A-Rod.

As for the poor students living off of student loans, they should buy and prepare their own food, it's much cheaper and likely healthier. Get yourself a hot plate for your dorm room and a mini fridge.

Winterclaw · May 05, 2009, 08:22 PM // 20:22

A couple things.

Shursh, a jerk like you doesn't deserve a tip if that's how you'll act. Don't blame the customers, blame your boss for not paying you enough to begin with.

Eur0, if A-rod went to mcdonalds, should he be forced to pay $100 for a big mac because he can afford it? When he goes to get gas, should he pay $200 a gallon because he has 33 million dollars? I think not. A good businessman sets a fair price that he can make a profit on and as long as his customers pay that price for his business and don't do anything to cause him any trouble he is happy. Telling someone that they have to pay more for the same thing only because they are rich isn't fair and it isn't good business.

Don't get me wrong, it would be nice of him to leave a $50 tip or something however a tip is not an entitlement and should not be treated as such. On the other hand, there is something called a federal minimum wage and it is a law. There shouldn't be an out so restaurant managers don't have to pay it on the theory people will receive tips. However, it's not my fault if your boss doesn't pay you a decent wage.

Taurean · May 05, 2009, 08:30 PM // 20:30

Here in norway, everything i so expensive. The only tip i ever give is maybe the last change on a big note, if i go out in a restaurant to eat with someone and if i'm the one spending (spend 80 - 100$)

The companies employing these people should take this into consideration and raise the salaries instead of making customers take this embarassing decision, on "how much" they have to TIP! Because it IS embarassing! The price listed is what goes, no more no less!

Dammit!

xD

Shursh · May 05, 2009, 10:14 PM // 22:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winterclaw

A couple things.

Shursh, a jerk like you doesn't deserve a tip if that's how you'll act. Don't blame the customers, blame your boss for not paying you enough to begin with.

...

Don't get me wrong, it would be nice of him to leave a $50 tip or something however a tip is not an entitlement and should not be treated as such. On the other hand, there is something called a federal minimum wage and it is a law. There shouldn't be an out so restaurant managers don't have to pay it on the theory people will receive tips. However, it's not my fault if your boss doesn't pay you a decent wage.

I'm not disagreeing with you - i am totally in favor of raising the minimum wage rate for servers. this would solve all of the problems.

HOWEVER:

in the meantime, IF your server provides adequate service (obviously this is subject to your opinion, and at times is a BIG if), then it is only right to reward said person for their services because they have no other income other than your good graces.

i really wish it wasn't like this, since the employers should be the one paying the employee, but the OP's article really makes a statement:

whether you make 33 million a year, 1 million a year, or are a lowly server living off your ability to please the occasional cold-hearted miser, you are obliged to compensate the server for their service since they have no other source of income.

if you refuse to comply with this generally understood transaction of services for money, then DO NOT be surprised if you are denied service at a later time. Or, if in frustration, your server decides to lob foreign matter into your food without your consent.

i no longer work in the food industry and have a much better job thankfully, and i don't mean to come off as a jerk, but i really hope that this debate helps you to see reason. don't use the excuse "well, it SHOULD be like this, so i'm going to act as if it were." in the end, you only hurt the waiter.

Snow Bunny · May 06, 2009, 12:48 AM // 00:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winterclaw

Don't get me wrong, it would be nice of him to leave a $50 tip or something however a tip is not an entitlement and should not be treated as such. On the other hand, there is something called a federal minimum wage and it is a law. There shouldn't be an out so restaurant managers don't have to pay it on the theory people will receive tips. However, it's not my fault if your boss doesn't pay you a decent wage.

It is though. If people leave tips, which they're normally inclined to do, the restaurant will count it as part of their income, because no other profession receives a significant part of their income in tips. Thus it becomes tax, and if you stop tipping, you ruin the damn system.

Yes, tipping isn't mandatory, but it's part of our (American here) society.

The point of the A-Rod thing is that it's surprising that someone makes $33 million and they're so cheap so as to leave the bare 15%.

If you try and go for the minimum wage laws, then you confound the problem, because people will still tip and thus the government will seek to tax their tips as wages, and rightfully so, seeing as its an earned wage, official or not.

A lot of this could be solved if everyone just sucked it in a little and chipped in an extra dollar here and there. If the service isn't too good, then no, don't go above 15%, but if they were friendly and expedient, there's little reason to not go above the 15% line.

MMSDome · May 06, 2009, 01:33 AM // 01:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snow Bunny

Technically Dome, Vila's right. The restaurant factors in the fact that they'll be getting tips - therefore their paycheck is lower.

Also, if you think a fcukwit like A-Rod deserves to earn $33 million dollars a season for playing a game you need to re-evaluate your notion of merit.

Sports players are grossly overpaid, at least with Basketball, baseball, and football.

Who are you to tell an owner how much he can pay his players?

pumpkin pie · May 06, 2009, 04:52 PM // 16:52

you know Who I tipped?

The trash collectors that collects trash from my house the postmans and the people that come to cut grass in my housing area, not every time they come thou, I give them some money during festive seasons. I thought they deserve it more then waiter and waitresses.

Snow Bunny · May 06, 2009, 05:01 PM // 17:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMSDome

Who are you to tell an owner how much he can pay his players?

Do you really believe that A-Rod deserves $33 million dollars a year?

If so, why do you not believe he should give 20% if the service was good?

Shursh · May 06, 2009, 05:16 PM // 17:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMSDome

Who are you to tell an owner how much he can pay his players?

i could care less what they pay him (assuming it doesn't drastically increase the price of an admission ticket...which it might)

but we know he makes 33 million a year.

and even though tipping isn't mandatory, it doesn't make him any less of a jackass by barely tipping 15%.

Empress Amarox · May 07, 2009, 04:55 AM // 04:55

DarkFlame · May 07, 2009, 04:57 AM // 04:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Empress Amarox

There's a reason he goes near bankrupt every couple of years.

A11Eur0 · May 07, 2009, 05:14 AM // 05:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winterclaw

A couple things.

Shursh, a jerk like you doesn't deserve a tip if that's how you'll act. Don't blame the customers, blame your boss for not paying you enough to begin with.

Eur0, if A-rod went to mcdonalds, should he be forced to pay $100 for a big mac because he can afford it? When he goes to get gas, should he pay $200 a gallon because he has 33 million dollars? I think not. A good businessman sets a fair price that he can make a profit on and as long as his customers pay that price for his business and don't do anything to cause him any trouble he is happy. Telling someone that they have to pay more for the same thing only because they are rich isn't fair and it isn't good business.

Don't get me wrong, it would be nice of him to leave a $50 tip or something however a tip is not an entitlement and should not be treated as such. On the other hand, there is something called a federal minimum wage and it is a law. There shouldn't be an out so restaurant managers don't have to pay it on the theory people will receive tips. However, it's not my fault if your boss doesn't pay you a decent wage.

Look, the prices are what they are because it's customary to leave a tip for the server! If you remove tips from the equation and require the salary of the worker to be increased to compensate, the food prices WILL increase. No, he shouldn't be charged more just because of what he makes. BUT, if it's KNOWN that tips are CUSTOMARY and the server RELIES on those tips to SURVIVE...and someone making more money in one year than that server will make in a lifetime (likely) tips minimum if that, it's reprehensible. I don't see how you can argue that point. The owner of the restaurant isn't going to increase the wages if he doesn't have to. He doesn't have to because tips typically cover what's there. I'm not saying leave 10 grand like Trump, I'm saying leave just a little bit more than 15% of a fkn $20 plate of wings and a couple beers, especially if that server has to endure the degrading advances of a known womanizer. It's sickening watching A-Rod get away with what he does.

DarkFlame: he goes nearly bankrupt every few years because he's one of the few high profile americans with the stones to take risks with his money. Obviously those risks pay off more than not. He's single-handedly keeping half of Atlantic City afloat in today's financial crisis with his liberal spending. More wealthy Americans should follow his example...he knows that money is just there to spend; these high-rolling misers sitting in their inherited estates taking only very calculated risks and pulling strings afraid of losing a few million out of their billions are what's wrong with this country.

Kumu Honua · May 08, 2009, 10:16 PM // 22:16

Without tips, the service that I provide would vanish entirely.

That's right. Without tips, you would be forced to drive home drunk yourself. Killing far more than the irresponsible jackasses already do.

I drive a cab.

I get paid a grand total of $0/hr. In fact, I have to pay $140 for the privilege of working a shift. Without tips, I would have to rely on sheer volume (Far more than a normal night) just to make any income at all.

"Have the company pay you a wage!", are you going to pay $60 to get home from that bar? Didn't think so.

Cebe · May 11, 2009, 07:48 AM // 07:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inde

I believe in the UK it's lower though.

I think in the UK we generally tip around 10%. I know many people who do not tip, and thankfully, the culture of waiting staff hating and bad mouthing people who don't tip hasn't really made it's way across the pond (or, at least, as far up as where I live). It's one big problem which turns me off ever going to America.

I usually tip around 10%, but only if I have money on me. I don't agree with the card readers which ask you to input your tip to pay with the rest of your meal...I heard a lot of those go straight to the company, and the waiting staff don't get to see any of it.

A lot of the arguments in this thread seem to be directed at the fact that rich people should tip thousands of pounds. If you're going to target the wealthy, why not just do it properly and slap a 90% tax band on anyone earning over £150,000 (~$230,000) every month and redistribute the increase in tax to people on the minimum wage? That idea's not going to go down too well.

zwei2stein · May 11, 2009, 08:47 AM // 08:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by MirkoTeran

Must be an US thing. Here people tip only if service is really good (and/or if waitress is hot) but noone looks at what % to pay - just round it up to a easy-to-pay number.

Same here - you don't tip, and if you do, you just round it up to some nice number so that you do not end up with pockets full off small change.

I empathize with opening dialog from "reservoir dogs" movie. People don't tip in fast foods or supermarkets. Why are waiters, of all the minimum wage/terrible conditions jobs, so special?

Nodakim · May 11, 2009, 10:32 AM // 10:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shursh

except that homeless people haven't provided a service to deserve your money.

waiters have provided food, drink, and entertainment (at times).

I payed for my food and drink,the only entertainemnt i got was when they fell down and spille the drinks on the floor.
Seriously,i should be paying them for doing their job?What kinda bullshit is that?

cataphract · May 11, 2009, 11:24 AM // 11:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by zwei2stein

Why are waiters, of all the minimum wage/terrible conditions jobs, so special?

Because they're the only ones in a unique position of spitting (to say the least) in your food. Considering most of them are idiots, paying them is a small price to pay for a spit-free meal.

Divinitys Creature · May 11, 2009, 08:49 PM // 20:49

If someone spits in your meal, you should turn around and stab them in the throat, how's that for a tip?

cataphract · May 12, 2009, 05:44 PM // 17:44

So, you're saying that getting raped in prison is more appealing to you than a bit of saliva in your soup?
Classiest getting out of the closet if I ever saw one.